Bell Communications Research (Bellcore) and BellSouth Telecommunications have established more stringent requirements for electronic equipment cabinets. These cabinets are intended to house various types of telecommunications equipment, including active electronic and optical systems and passive mechanical cross-connect and splicing fields. The cabinets are required to protect the electronics equipment from a wide range of ambient temperatures and inclement climatic conditions including rain, snow, sleet, high winds, wind driven rain, ice, and sand storms. These cabinets must pass stringent weathertightness rain intrusion, wind driven rain intrusion, salt fog spray, temperature cycling, and high humidity tests.
In addition to weathertightness, the cabinet must also provide electromagnetic field interference (EMI) shielding to meet the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) electromagnetic emission and immunity criteria. If not properly shielded, the electronic equipment may emit signals that interfere with the operation of unrelated equipment. Proper shielding also prevents radio frequency signals from sources outside of the cabinet from adversely interfering with the operations of the digital telecommunications system in the cabinet.
The new specification set forth by the telecommunications industry may also require the cabinets to be transportable with the equipment installed therein. Previously constructed cabinets do not provide adequate support for the contents while it is being transported. Bellcore's General Requirements for Electronic Equipment Cabinets, Technical Advisory TA-NWT-000487, Issue 2, June 1993, and BellSouth Telecommunications' Electronic Equipment Cabinets (Subscriber Carrier/Fiber in the Loop), Specification BS-631-0032, Issue 1, November 1992, may be consulted for a detailed description of the requirements and the test criteria.
Accordingly, a need has arisen for a cabinet to house electronic equipment that meets the weathertightness, electromagnetic interference shielding, and transportability requirements as set forth above. To satisfy these requirements, the cabinet structure, door, and door mating surfaces are specially designed to provide structural integrity and shielding from the weather and electromagnetic interference.